As a note - The posts I’ve been making for the series were in general to try out different styles of blogging. I’m still not sure if I’ve got the hang of it, but I’ll just make a close with a bumper spoiler-free review for Dennou Coil.

Dennou Coil - A Circle of Children.

Well, what can I say. First of, this series is directed by the Japanese animator Mitsuo Iso, and is his debut series as a director. He has done several high-profile animations in movies and serieses such as Evangelion and Rahxephon, as well as being known for his unique animation style which focuses on a large number of keyframes while minimizing the use of in-betweeners. This results in a highly-detailed animation with dense and sophisticated movements.

Anyway, on to the show itself. It’s shown in a generally prime-time slot in Japan with a large number of high-profile animators taken in to do the job. To put things simply - This is high-budget stuff. Music, sound effects, heck, this thing is pretty much touted to have the best animation in a series of 2007 outside of Seirei no Morobito.

Character design? It may take awhile to get used to, but once I finished the first episode or so, I was hooked. I simply couldn’t see it working with a more realistic character design - It fits in with the whimsical nuances that the series encircles. It’s also one of those things where they trade detail and realism for ease of animation, I suppose - Remember those old Hanna-Barbara cartoons? They had a ridiculous amount of exagerrated motion, which was thanks to the simplistic designs used at the time.

In terms of plot, now there’s something interesting. Dennou Coil opens with a mostly world-enforcing first half, helping the viewers get a general idea of the world with the multiple facets within, and the few story-based episodes serve as a general teaser of what’s to come and helping to build characterizations of the various characters involved. In the second half, the story kicks into high gear and we’re thrown into a massive roller-coaster ride - A far cry from the pace of the first half. And not only that - The story just keeps ramping higher and higher, upping the ante each time for the final climatic episodes. While several viewers have voiced how they might have preferred the first half for the uniqueness and freshness, I found myself in the camp who greatly appreciated the change of pace in the second half - I found it to be the main reason why I like Dennou Coil so much. Of course, it might also have to do with them suddenly pulling the rug out from under you, and you find yourself realizing that the cozy world you have been introduced to was in fact just the tip of the iceberg. It really wouldn’t be fair for me to say any more about the plot - It really is something to be seen and experienced for oneself as the whole series.

Overall, I think this was probably the most creative series I’ve seen out there. It was able to create a unique world and protray itself and its characters in a convincing manner, as well as showing that it was able to carry out the different types of storytelling with aplomb. As such it has wormed its way into my top 3 list, and will probably stay there for a long time to come.

Final score: 99 out of 105 possible Metatag constructs.

The demure but deadly Ryoko Asakura secretly watches the actions of Haruhi Suzumiya. She observes the fickle Haruhi, always looking for a change to occur. Frustrated with the slow pace of her assignment, Ryoko grows impatient and decides to take matters into her own hands. Surely it is better to do something drastic and measurable than to sit around and wait for results to happen. Her course is clear. It would certainly be fun to kill that meddlesome Kyon and watch the aftermath.

Manufacturer: Max Factory
Scale: 1/8
Price: ~$42
Release date: November 2007

The seemingly innocent and demure class representative, Ryoko Asakura…

Hehehe. Please die Kyon-kun.

After watching episode 12 of School Days, Ryoko now has her inspiration.

Come out come out, wherever you are. ^_^

Looks can be deceiving. What’s in the bag anyway…?

Have you been cheating on me Kyon-kun?

Sculpt: 10/10
A nice friendly looking Ryoko Asakura greets you with a bag (or optional army knife) in hand. It’s the typical pose for the seemingly friendly, outgoing girl that everyone likes. She looks passive yet still retains a strong quality in her stance.

Paint: 9/10
Excellent application and quality as is always expected from Max Factory. Her colors are accurate to the original images and animation.

Base: 10/10
I really like the bases of Max Fac’s Haruhi lineup. Simple and nondistracting are the words that come to mind. The pegs have a cozy fit in Ryoko’s feet so they do what they’re supposed to.

Predicted Reliability: 9/10
She stands a bit off balance which could be a concern in a hot climate. Since one foot isn’t completely on the ground, the peg is connected right to the toes. It shouldn’t pose a problem unless you display her under stage lights or something of the sort.

Total Score: 38/40 = 95%

Overall: You must get her because the killer eyebrows demand it. I’ll admit that this one is strictly for the Ryoko fans out there. She probably won’t be a hot seller compared to her bretheren, though if you get her you won’t regret it. She’ll fit right in next to the other Haruhi gals.

Released in May 2007, Kotobukiya faithfully recreates Kanon’s Mai Kawasumi in a dynamic action sculpt. This one’s been on the market for about half a year and has been near the top of my figure review list. Mai is probably my second favorite Kanon girl so she deserves this review. The first run even came packed with a pair of bunny ears; A cute albeit useless head decoration that will ultimately end up damaging her hair. Sorry for the lack of photo variety. This figure has a limited viewing range because of the pose.

Manufacturer: Kotobukiya
Scale: 1/8
Price: ~$38
Release date: May 2007

The figure overall is nice but is riddled with a lot of paint problems. As you can see from the pictures, the paint on her hair and uniform is very splotchy and uneven in spots. Not pictured is a giant black scuff on the bottom of her thigh straight out of the box. It’s a shame too, because she would otherwise be fine and earn a higher score.

Sculpt: 8/10
The pose really captures Mai’s demon hunter spirit. It looks like she’s prepared to strike in the middle of a battle while Yuuichi watches on in awe. As previously noted, the pose does limit what angles you can view her.

Paint: 3/10
Terrible paintwork. I expect much better from an established company like Kotobukiya. Mine may have slipped past the QC department so results may vary.

Base: 9/10
The bases does its job and holds Mai securely in place. She’s standing on what I presume are light blue tiles. The base is a fairly off shape though. Maybe she’s supposed to connect to the other Kotobukiya Kanon gals.

Predicted Reliability: 8/10
Chances of leaning are low but not out of the question.

Total Score: 28/40 = 70%

Overall: Get it if you’re a diehard Mai fan. Despite all the paint problems, she still looks a lot better than any of the other Mai offerings on the market. If you’re willing to wait for an indefinite amount of time, Max Factory should produce something of a higher caliber.

Here’s my second go at a figure photo shoot. I know the lighting is far from perfect but I’ll get better as time goes along. Sorry in advance for the low resolution shots, because Flickr caps the maximum size for free users. Let’s get down to the nitty gritty. Shuraki is a collaboration between Good Smile Company and Red Entertainment. Mishiro is the first in the series of figure boxsets that include a figure, artbook, and a drama CD.

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